Hearing Hashem’s Voice in Our Time of Trial
by R. Eliezer Simcha Weisz
Parshas Nitzavim
As we approach Rosh Hashanah, our hearts are heavy. The past two years have brought tremendous suffering upon Klal Yisrael: wars that have devastated towns and cities, the abduction of children and innocents, massacres, maimings, killings, and unspeakable acts of violence. Families have been torn apart, communities shattered. And the suffering is not limited to Israel—Jews throughout the world face rampant antisemitism, hatred, and violence. In too many places, it is not safe for Jews to visit, to live, or even to be visibly Jewish. And we are left to ask: how should we respond?
The Torah speaks to us in this week’s Parshas Nitzavim, especially in moments of trial:
וְהָיָה כִּי-יָבֹאוּ עָלֶיךָ כָּל-הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה הַבְּרָכָה וְהַקְּלָלָה אֲשֶׁר נָתַתִּי לְפָנֶיךָ וַהֲשֵׁבֹתָ אֶל-לְבָבֶךָ בְּכָל-הַגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר הִדִּיחֲךָ ה׳ אֱלֹקֶיךָ שָׁמָּה
“And it shall be, when all these things come upon you—the blessing and the curse which I have set before you—and you shall take them to heart among all the nations where Hashem your G-d has driven you.” (Devarim 30:1)
Hashem speaks to us through the events of our lives. The Torah warns against one response:
וְהָיָה בְשָׁמְעוֹ אֶת-דִּבְרֵי הָאָלָה הַזֹּאת וְהִתְבָּרֵךְ בִּלְבָבוֹ לֵאמֹר שָׁלוֹם יִהְיֶה-לִּי כִּי בִּשְׁרִרוּת לִבִּי אֵלֵךְ לְמַעַן סְפוֹת הָרָוֶה אֶת-הַצְּמֵאָה לֹא-יֹאבֶה ה׳ סְלֹחַ לוֹ כִּי-אָז יֶעְשַׁן אַף-ה׳ וְקִנְאָתוֹ בָּאִישׁ הַהוּא
“And it shall be, when he hears the words of this curse, that he blesses himself in his heart, saying, ‘I shall have peace,’ though he walks in the stubbornness of his heart. Hashem will not be willing to forgive him; Hashem’s anger and jealousy shall burn against that person…” (Devarim 29:19–20)
This is the way of complacency—closing the heart, refusing to change, pretending all is well. But the Torah also sets before us the true response:
וְשַׁבְתָּ עַד-ה׳ אֱלֹקֶיךָ וְשָׁמַעְתָּ בְּקֹלוֹ כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם אַתָּה וּבָנֶיךָ בְּכָל-לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל-נַפְשֶׁךָ
“And you shall return to Hashem your G-d, and you shall hearken to His voice, according to all that I command you this day, you and your children, with all your heart and with all your soul.” (Devarim 30:2)
The Torah therefore presents us with two paths:
- To remain unmoved, reassuring ourselves in our hearts that all is well, as if we can go our own way without consequence..
- To return to Hashem, to open our hearts, to hear His voice וְשָׁמַעְתָּ בְּקֹלוֹ and to act.
To hear His voice does not mean performing mitzvos mechanically. It means perceiving His message in the reality around us—in the suffering of the innocent, in the tragedies that shake Klal Yisrael, in the cries of victims of war, terror, and violence.
But why are our hearts so often closed?
- The magnitude of tragedy can overwhelm us, leaving us numb and paralyzed, unable to feel fully the pain or recognize the call to action.
- Daily worries and routines distract us.
- Spiritual insensitivity dulls our awareness of Hashem’s voice.
- We rationalize inaction, saying, “I cannot change anything.”
The Talmud teaches:
לא נבראו רעמים אלא לפשוט עקמומית שבלב
“Thunder was created only to straighten out the crookedness of the heart.”
Rashi explains: «כְּשֶׁרוֹאִין אוֹתוֹ — יִזְכְּרוּ גְּבוּרוֹתוֹ וְיִירְאוּ מִמֶּנּוּ» — when people hear thunder, they should recall Hashem’s might and be filled with awe of Him. (Berachos 59a)
The Chofetz Chaim, zt”l, embodied this sensitivity. When he heard thunder, he would ask: “Vos vill der Tata?” — “What does Father want?” He lived with the awareness that every sound, every event, is a message from Above.
If the Chofetz Chaim were alive today and saw and heard the events of this past week—in Eretz Yisrael, where tragedies and terror shake our people, and throughout the world, where anti-Semitism surges and Jews are attacked simply for being Jews—what would he say? If he discerned the Voice of Hashem even in a clap of thunder, how would he respond to such overwhelming blasts of history? His question would surely be: “Vos vill der Tata? What does Father want from us?”
The Gemara in Avodah Zarah (18a) records a remarkable exchange:
אָמַר לוֹ רַבִּי חֲנִינָא בֶּן תְּרַדְיוֹן (לְרַבִּי יוֹסֵי בֶּן קִסְמָא): רַבִּי, מַה אֲנִי לְחֵיֵי הָעוֹלָם הַבָּא? אָמַר לוֹ: כָּלום מַעֲשֶׂה בָּא לְיָדְךָ? אָמַר לוֹ: מָעוֹת שֶׁל פוּרִים נִתְעָרְבוּ לִי בִּמְעוֹת שֶׁל צְדָקָה, וּנְתַתִּים לִצְדָקָה. אָמַר לוֹ: מְעוֹנִי תְּהֵא מְעוֹנְךָ, שֶׁמַּעֲשֶׂיךָ מְעוּלִין
Rabbi Chanina ben Teradyon said to him: My teacher, what will become of me? Am I destined for life in the World-to-Come?
Rabbi Yosei ben Kisma said to him: Did any special incident occur to you which might serve as an indication? Rabbi Ḥanina ben Teradyon said to him: I confused my own coins that I needed for the festivities of Purim with coins of charity, and I distributed them all to the poor at my own expense. Rabbi Yosei ben Kisma said to him: If that is so, may my portion be of your portion, and may my lot be of your lot.
Rabbi Chanina ben Teradion sacrificed his life for Torah, yet his entry into Olam HaBa was affirmed because of one small monetary incident. He possessed an extraordinary sensitivity to Hashem’s will. Even in something as trivial as Purim money becoming mixed up, he saw a Heavenly message: “This money was meant for charity.” He lived with ears attuned to the whispers of Heaven. Rabbi Yosi ben Kisma therefore said, “If in such a small detail you discern the Hand of Hashem, then surely your portion in Olam Haba is great.”
This is what the Torah demands of us: «וְשָׁמַעְתָּ בְּקֹלוֹ» — “And you shall hear His Voice” (Devarim 28:62). The call may come in a mighty shofar blast — «וְהָיָה בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא יִתָּקַע בְּשׁוֹפָר גָּדוֹל» (“And it shall be on that day, a great shofar will be sounded” — Yeshayahu 27:13) — or in the kol demama daka, the still, small voice of daily occurrences.
The blast of tragedy is immense, yet the human heart often perceives only a faint whisper. The “blast” is the reality of all that is happening, the enormity of suffering and injustice. But because our hearts are not fully attuned, we may feel only a whisper of that call. If we were greater spiritually, the impact would shake us fully—but even hearing a faint whisper is enough to awaken us and demand action.
This Rosh Hashanah, do not remain passive. Do something. Strengthen Torah and tefillah; let our batei knesses (synagogues) resound with heartfelt davening [prayer]. Protect the vulnerable; stand for the kidnapped, the persecuted, the defenseless. Care for the suffering; support families who have lost loved ones, comfort the wounded, and be present for the grieving. Live with yashrus [integrity] and justice; avoid aveiros [sins] in business, society, and private life. Perform acts of chessed [kindness]; even small gestures ripple outward and strengthen the world. Even small acts matter. Even imperfect acts matter. Hashem sees our effort, hears our heart, and counts our response.
Imagine standing before Hashem and being asked: “What did you do in response to this suffering?” If you answer “I did not know what to do,” that is not enough.
If you can say “I hear You. I might not hear everything I should hear. Perhaps my hearing is limited, and I only perceive a whisper of Your message. I do not know everything You want. I cannot stop all evil. I cannot erase every tragedy. But I will act. I will do something. If you can say, “I acted. I responded as best I could and will continue to do so “then you walk the derech of the tzaddikim.
This Rosh Hashanah, let each of us ask: “Avinu Malkeinu, Heiliger Bashefer [Our Father Our King-Our Creator]—what do You want from us?” And then—let us do something.. Yes, Heiliger Bashefer. I hear You. I will act. I will do something. And in that response, Your voice will be answered in my heart.
May this New Year be one in which the suffering of the past two years becomes the catalyst for righteousness, courage, justice, compassion, and kedushah [holiness]. May Hashem strengthen us to hear, to respond, and to act—for the bracha [blessing] of Am Yisrael and for the entire world.